Territory



(No Model.) J

MACHINE POR OOATING POP CORN. No. 475,840. l Patented May 3l, 1892. A

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NITED STATES firmen.

ATENT JAMES T. VOODS, OF MANTI, UTAH TERRITORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,840, dated May 31, 1892,

Application lcd June G, 189].. Serial No. 395,302. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, JAMES T. NVOODS, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Manti, in the county ot San Pete and Territory of. Utah, havc invented a new and useful Machine for Coating Pop-Corn, ol' which tho following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for preparing Indian maize or popcorn which has been popped in the ordinary manner for use as a confection, both for eat ing and decorative purposes; and it has for its object to provide an article by an improved apparatus that will avoid the disagreeable effeet of handling confectioned pop-corn, either in the form of balls, cakes, or otherwise, during the hot months, as the same becomes sticky and unsalable on account of flies, dust,"

dac., and also being apt to dissolve and run during damp weather. To avoid all ot these objections, it is the object of my invention to coat the pop-corn with the material desired, so that each separate grain will be coated independently and separately from the other grains and when finished will not stick or adhere in any way, but will always be easily and readily handled, inasmuch as the popcorn kernels will always be separate when preferred and can be easily boxed or sacked so as to preserve it from flies, dust, or samplers.

Vith these objects in view my invention consists of certain novel features hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an agitating-cylinder and a drying-screen therebeneath constructed in accordance with my invention.` Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view; Fig. 3,adetailin perspective of the agitator.

a heated condition by means of either hot water or steam being supplied to the space inclosed by said jacket through the inlet and exhausted through thc discharge-cock. Mounted within said cylinder and journalcd on each end of the rectangular frame is an agitatorshaft D, that furnishes a support for said cylinder within the frame and upon which the same may revolve to discharge its contents when necessary, said shaft being further provided with a series of bowed agitator-arms d, that are designed to keep the corn thoroughly agitated during the process of coating.

The cylinder is held in position during the coating of the corn by means ot a staple E, secured to the frame and engaged by a hook c, attached to the said cylinder, thus locking the same in its normal position, allowing it to be easily freed and revolved about the agitator-shaft, which supports it inthe frame, in order to discharge the coated pop-corn. The longitudinal opening F, extending the entire length of the cylinder, is kept closed while the corn is being agitated through the coating substances by means of a hinged cover G, secured to the upper side of the same and held closed by the latches g, engaging the free edge of said cover when inclosing the opening. The coating substances are evenly fed to the corn within the cylinder through a suitable trough H, provided with a longitudinal opening h in its lower edge, and extends over the entire length ot' the opening in the top of the cylinder.

When the corn has been subjected to the double coating of my process hereinafter den scribed, the cylinder is released from its fastening to the frame, revolved about said agicater-shaft, and discharges its coated contents upon a perforated screen K, that is placed beneath said cylinder and which allows the surplus sugar and defective corn to pass to a tray L, beneath the screen referred to.

In operating this apparatus the maize or pop-corn is first popped in the ordinary manner and a sufficient quantity, as may be desired, is placed within the cylinder, which is kept warm by passing steam into the inclosed space surrounding the cylinder, or placing hot water in the same when steam is unavailable. A mixture of glucose and ordinary sugar is IOG boiled to a suitable consistenoe and is then placed in the trough above the cylinder and allowed to drip from the same evenly upon the pop-corn Within the cylinder in a very 5 thin sheet, the corn in the meantime being kept in a shifting motion by the action of the agitator upon the same. Sufficient quantity of the sirup, which may be colored in any desirable shade by the use of non-deleterious io substances, is fed within the cylinder and with which the pop-corn is brought in contact by means of the agitator-arms, which thoroughly commingle the same together. At the proper time, When deemed advisable, r 5 finely-pulverized White sugar is added and a repetition of the stirring operation performed, which gives to the coated pop-corn an even and smooth coating and produces a sugarcoated pop-corn the kernels of which will not zo adhere to each other, but will always keep separate and Will not be affected by changes in the temperature or the Weather, as well as an article that especially1 adapts itself for decorating purposes on account of the colors used z 5 in the preparation of the same. After receiving the second coating the cylinder is released from its fastening to the frame and is revolved about said agitator-shaft and discharges the coated contents upon the screen 3o placed beneath the same, allowing the surplus sugar and defective corn to be separated from the good material.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an apparatus for sugar-coating popcorn, a frame, a jacketed revoluble cylinder, an agitator-shaft mounted Within said cylinder and journaled in the said frame, and means for detachably securing said revoluble cylinder to said frame jointly with a dryingscreen beneath said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for sugar-coating popcorn, a rectangular frame, a revoluble cylinder located Within said frame and provided with a jacket inclosing the lower half of said cylinder and a longitudinal opening and cover therefor, an agitator-shaft provided With a series of independent bowed agitator arms or fingers mounted Within said cylinder and journaled in the ends of said rectangular frame, and suitable fastening means securing said cylinder to said frame jointly with adrying screen and tray located directly beneath said cylinder and adapted to receive the discharged contents of the same and separate the superfluous sugar and defective corn from the good material, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES T. WOODS.

Witnesses:

A. E, MERRIAM, JOHN REID. 

